For Bruce Hoff, bicycles are more than just a form of transportation or lifestyle, it’s his livelihood. Bruce has been professionally wrenching on bicycles in Moscow since 1987—first at Velo Sports, then Northwest Mountain Sports from 1989 to 2005, and now at Follett’s Mountain Sports in Moscow—so there’s a good chance he has repaired yours! He doesn’t actually remember why he got into bikes, “it was just the thing to do, the best way to get around.” And that’s the idea he enjoys sharing with the customers he meets.

Photos by Isaak Julye and Emmett Breedlovestrout

How far is your daily commute?

It’s a half-mile to work, but after all my errands it adds up to about three miles. Trips across the street to the Co-op, Mikey’s, you know, really add up! I’ve only set foot in a car twice since April!

Tell us about your commuter bike.

It’s a Specialized Globe with an internally geared hub that provides smooth shifting under all weather conditions, generator powered light system, full coverage fenders, rack with bags, bell, and to top it off a well broken in Brooks leather saddle.

That sounds like a full on commuter rig, what would you recommend as the most critical piece of commuter gear?

Rack, bag, and fenders. That’s what makes a bike a commuter machine!

With your years of bike mechanic experience, what riding tips would you give people?

Lube your chain, have your seat height set correctly (a shop can help you with this), ride your bike following the rules of the road. And did I mention, lube your chain!

Where is your favorite place to ride on the Palouse?

All over town. It’s all good!

What do you do with all the money you save by living the low car lifestyle?

Save it.

So, you must be the Palouse’s only millionaire bicycle mechanic?

No comment…

 August Bike Events

Women’s Weekly Mountain Bike Ride

Every Monday in August at 5:30 p.m.

Meet under Rosauers sign, carpool to trailhead. Women of all abilities are encouraged to ride! Contact Aly at This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it or (208) 882-1444.

MAMBA Trail Building Parties

Saturday, August 2 and August 30 at 8:45 a.m.

Meet at the Rosauers parking lot for a day of work on Moscow Mountain trails. No experience necessary! Check out bikemoscow.org for more information.

Latah Trail Cleanup

Wednesday, August 27 at 10 a.m.

Meet on the Latah Trail (corner of Blaine and the Troy Highway). Bring food, water, weather protection for an afternoon of bike riding and trail cleaning. Contact Bruce Hoff at Follett’s Mountain Sports, (208) 882-6735.

Basic Bike Repair Class at the Palouse-Clearwater Environmental Institute (PCEI)

Thursday, August 14 at 7 p.m. or Sunday, August 17 at 3 p.m.

Second Step Bike Repair class follows at 6 p.m. Sunday, August 17.

Cost is $10; $8 for PCEI members; fee waivers and scholarships available.

Space is limited. Contact This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it or (509) 330-2681.
Instructor Dave Peckham designed a bike repair curriculum taught to more than 4000 people in Ghana, West Africa.

Farmers Market Bike Repair: Latah Trail Fundraiser

Saturdays 9:30 - 11:30 a.m. at the Farmer’s Market

Contact Bruce Hoff at Follett’s Mountain Sports, (208) 882-6735.

Palouse Rideshare 

The other day, we noticed on a gas station sign that a gallon of fuel had broken the magic $5 per gallon barrier. Cause for celebration? Maybe not, if you live in Harvard and drive to Moscow for work. But, on our way to Pullman that day we also noticed a different roadside sign advertising something that actually is a cause for celebration.

Imagine if someone told you it was possible to take your existing car—that Hummer sitting in your driveway, or even your smart little Prius—and double, yes, double, its fuel efficiency. Who wouldn’t want to buy this thing? Now, you might assume this great technology would be too expensive. But wait, what if we said you can save your economic stimulus check—this miracle is actually free! Just go to www.PalouseRideshare.org.

The Palouse Rideshare program matches drivers and riders heading in the same direction throughout a large area of north central Idaho. Enter the town you are departing from and the program finds others departing from the same location. Give someone a ride, average 110 miles per gallon per person, and the paint job on your Prius turns a little bit greener. Give six people a ride in your Ford Excursion, and you’ll rival the fuel economy of any hybrid on the road.

So why was this program recently ranked the number one “Totally Underrated Thing to do on the Palouse that makes you the Greenest Person Ever”? We spoke with Tom Lamar of the Palouse-Clearwater Environmental Institute (PCEI)—the group spearheading the program—to find out. In the past, two things have slowed the success of the program: 1) the matching algorithm only matches people departing from the same location even though drivers pass through multiple towns on the way to their destination, and 2) the relatively low cost of fuel. “It used to be a short 15 miles from Moscow to Potlatch,” Tom said, “But at $5 per gallon, 15 miles each way seems pretty far.” As for the matching problem, the website should be completely overhauled this month, making it more efficient and user friendly. Head over to www.PalouseRideshare.org and check it out!

The Bicycle Brothers are fresh off the plane this month from a tour of East Coast transportation including, but not limited to, subway, pedicab, taxi, elevator, bus, escalator, horsedrawn carriage, pedicab, ferry, and walking filthy urban streets.